Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Hope

They aren't big and they aren't perfect but they are ripe. Since I posted about the blight our weather has dried out a bit. As a result the progression of the blight has slowed significantly. We're supposed to get more rain Wednesday, but this is after quite a few hot and rainless days. If it stays relatively dry, I should be able to get a decent crop. Keep your fingers crossed!

The rest of the garden is doing very well. We are eating from the garden every day and putting veggies up for the winter as well. I love pulling beans from the freezer, tomatoes off the shelf or soup made from homegrown veggies in the middle of winter. Which reminds me, its almost time to make minestrone soup!

6 comments:

Hi! I just found your blog recently through a comment on Sharon's blog. I am curious about the canning you do. It looks like you have a glass top stove, which is what I have as well. After I canned all my salsa last year I heard that you shouldn't can on a glass top stove because it could cause the glass to break, do you have any insight on this? Do you use a smaller canner to fit the burner on the stove? Any info you could give me would be great, I have been afraid to can ever since!

Heather, welcome! Yes I do have a glass top stove. I'm always amazed at how many people say you can't can on them. Check your owner's manual, most allow canning.

The biggest issue is what type of canner. Its recommended that it be a flat bottom canner that doesn't extend too far off the burner. I use a Presto pressure canner for that reason. They are the only pressure canner recommended for flat tops.

I use it to water bath as well since it heats up faster than my water canner. You just don't lock down the lid when you water bath. Don't be afraid to can! I've been using this stove to can on for 6 years without an issue, and I do a lot!

Yay for those tomatoes! How tragic it would be to have lost the entire crop.

I got 3 tomatoes in my share and the farmer expects that he may have to get them to us green if the weather takes a turn for the wet. I've already told the kids we'll be learning to make (and love) fried green tomatoes!

I might have to invest in one of those pressure canners then...I have only used the water bath canner...which takes forever to boil by the way :-) Thanks for letting me know what type of canner you use! Checking the owners manual...hmmm...why didn't I ever think of that?! Thanks again, have enjoyed reading all your blog posts!